From Demo to Quilt - Improv Curves

As a quilt teacher I need to be constantly demonstrating techniques and ideas to my students. You can show a million quilts and quilt blocks, but nothing replaces the actions. A couple of years ago I had the brilliant (in my head) idea to keep a set of fabrics for each class to use for demos. Everything coordinated instead of random scraps. That way, I would eventually have a set of blocks to turn into a quilt top without having to actually stop and make a quilt top.

Frankly, it really was a brilliant idea. The main components of many quilts have come this way. Like this one for slabs. Or this one for for Improv Log Cabins. Or even this one for Slabs and Low Volume work. Because I teach technique more often than specific quilts I only get a few of the blocks or components done each class. But in time, they add up. That was exactly what happened with these bits and pieces.

With so much potential the exciting part came - not that I don't love teaching, I adore it. What gets me jazzed in the sewing room is the challenge of taking seemingly disparate parts and finding order and balance in them. Playing on the design wall to find just the perfect composition will always be my favourite part of quilt making.

It took about a week of mornings and the odd evening to get something together. There was seemingly endless futzing to get a balance of colours, shape, and pattern. One can do that truly forever, with a solid fear of commitment. My strategy is to hone in on a part that I love and definitely don't want to change then work my way around it to show it off. It isn't always as perfect as I hope and you have to keep that Tim Gun refrain on constant repeat: Make it work. Make it Work. 

The whole quilt wasn't as big as I had hoped. I have such a hard time not making at least a double sized quilt. Alas, I ran out of fabric. No more background, no more of the orange, and only a bit of the purple left. C'est La Vie.

And now I get to pick a new set of fabrics for when I teach Improv Curves/Fun Ways with Drunkard's Path! Let me know if you are interested in a class.

Familiar Blocks in Fun Ways

As a quilt teacher I am constantly thinking about my classes. Seriously, I think about them a lot. If I am not prepping a class - I teach a few times monthly now - I am playing around with ideas for classes. Can I change the way I am teaching a technique? What feedback did I get from that workshop? Do stores even want this class? Who else can I pitch a class to? It is a near constant state of juggle and hustle. At the same time, I want consistency and any marketing expert will tell you that I should have some standards.

Last year I ran a fun series at a local shop. I'm still trying to figure out how to translate it into my offerings because there is overlap with existing listings. For now, I am excited to offer this new class.

Familiar Blocks in Fun Ways

Take a traditional block and change it up. Play with technique, scale, colour, value, and more as your take the familiar and turn it into something fantastic and fun. 

Right now it is on offer at My Sewing Room as a monthly club. Each month we will tackled a familiar block. Up first is Churn Dash. Coming up next is Pinwheel. Then we have Stars, Drunkard's Path, House blocks, and Flying Geese. I had a lot of fun sewing up that first sample and I have no doubt students will as well.

2018 is set up to be a busy year for teaching, with a few trips and a lot of local classes. Like I said, I am constantly looking at the juggle and the hustle. My schedule is still being updated - there are some fun Fall excursions in the works. Keep an eye on things! Teaching is one of my most favourite things to do so I know this will be good times ahead for all. 

I am always open to feedback, custom requests, and questions. This includes my classes. Don't hesitate to drop me a line. 

A Blue Quilt for The Blue Gala

From one demo block in a quilt class to this finished top. Oops, I did it again.

It truly did start as a demo block in a string piecing class. Then my friends from H/W Ballet asked me if I would donate a quilt to a silent auction for a gala ballet event. Well, of course I would. The event is called the Blue Gala. And wouldn't you know it my sample block was from some blue scraps? Not to mention the event raises fund for Pancreatic Cancer research and guess what stole my father-in-law?

Truly, it was all meant to be.

The quilt came together in the morning hours. I could sew together strips and square up about 4-6 blocks in about 20 minutes of Morning Make. Every day I made a few more blocks and threw them up on the design wall. A few weeks ago I added a short yoga practice to my mornings so I would then stare at the blocks and make rearrangements when I was supposed to be in downward dog.

Now to get this quilted for the early February Gala. Should be plenty of time. Then it will be up for silent auction. Don't hesitate to shoot me a line if you are interested in bidding...

Summer Play - Improvisational Piecing With Solids

A little bit of this, a little bit of that. We sew when we can.

The Improv triangle work started as a class sample. Then I liked it so much I kept playing. Still, I play. I set some parameters for the play. This is always a good thing to do, especially if you find Improv Piecing overwhelming. These are mine:

• Two colour blocks, high contrast in value.
• Only solids.
• Fundamental construction revolves around the techniques I share in my Improv Triangles class.

I've invested in some more solids because my stash is minimal in that department. These are all a combination of Cloud 9 organic Cirrus Solids (so seriously dreamy) and Kona cottons. I work only 2 colours/1 block at a time. No rhyme or reason to my choices other than I think those two fabrics look fun together. 

Kids started summer vacation over the weekend. And we were going hard with activities until that Friday night. We are all totally pooped. The sum total of the sewing I've done (minus the quarter circles that got me on a tangent) in the last month is right there on my design wall. Hand sewing my Euroa quilt while still on pool decks and soccer pitches, and little Morning Make triangle bits slowly, ever so slowly adding up. Whether it is after dinner frisbee tossing or sewing triangles together, I'm having fun with this summer playtime.